Alright, imagine this: it’s been 3,000 years since Zeus hit the “immortal” button and turned brothers Castor and Pollux into eternal agents of Olympus. Today, these twin brothers — born from Leda and Zeus himself — are out there, patrolling the chaos between gods and mortals. They’re more than just mythic heroes. They’re active, modern-day guardians, chosen by Zeus to prevent the divine and human worlds from colliding in all-out chaos.
The “Olympus” four-issue comic series from Image Comics goes as follows: they are sent to track down a messenger who has just taken a nosedive from Olympus. But things go sideways. Instead of just catching him, they accidentally unleash one of Hades’ most vicious inmates — a cursed, battle-worn soul with a grudge that’s gone on for a millennia. Now, our immortal heroes are racing across Europe and even to a Greek island, trying to recapture this rage-fueled nightmare before he tips the scales and throws everything out of whack.
This isn’t your average myth rehash. Olympus by Nathan Edmondson, paired with Christian Ward’s wild, psychedelic art style in a unique series by Image Comics, launches into a story that’s pure energy. It’s centered on loyalty and the unbreakable brotherly bond of Castor and Pollux. In Greek myths, Gemini represents the twins Castor and Pollux. They are known as the Dioscuri or the “Sons of Zeus.”
Their relationship has weathered three thousand years of battles, betrayals, and deals with Zeus himself. And there’s more to it: every New Year, they face death once again, fading back into the underworld only to return even stronger, ready to face whatever comes next. Some even think it is some kind of vacation.
Set in a slick, contemporary world, “Olympus” is a wild ride of color, chaos, and divine drama. The story hits hard on the brothers’ personalities, making you root for these ancient heroes who are just trying to do right in a world that’s constantly on the edge of falling apart.
The four-issue Olympus series from Image Comics was released in 2009 and is also available as a trade paperback. It’s a thrilling ride — bright, bold, and pretty damn trippy — thanks to Christian Ward’s unique visual style. If you’re into weird, out-there Greek mythology and stories about heroes that aren’t entirely easy to fully understand, then Olympus from Image Comics might be just what you’re looking for. Honestly, I had a hard time figuring out the story at first, but that’s part of what makes it more interesting.
Olympus (Image Comics) Review: Castor & Pollux’s Epic Saga
In Olympus #1, Pollux is still out there chasing women before the arrival of the New Year, and pretty soon, both he and his brother Castor are going to meet their end. But before that happens, Castor reminds Pollux that he’s the one who keeps him out of real trouble. Then, just a few moments later, during the countdown to the New Year, they both end up dying — shot by each other in a crazy twist — and heading to the Underworld.
Then, jump back eleven months. Turns out, someone named Grigori has stolen the caduceus, a powerful staff Zeus needs back.
The thief? It’s Hermes, now going by the name Grigori after leaving Olympus for a woman. Castor and Pollux want to send him to the Underworld for his betrayal, but things are about to heat up. Hermes isn’t planning to go down easily. Before you know it, it’s full-on action mode!
In Olympus #2 (Image Comics), the story flashes back three thousand years to reveal Castor and Pollux as Argonauts, immersing us in an ancient era.
The narrative also jumps to the British Museum, specifically the Hellenic Antiquities exhibit. There’s an intriguing hint that someone has been resurrected, adding a layer of mystery.
Overall, I found the second issue of “Olympus” quite confusing, as the storylines and timelines are intertwined in a complex way.
Now we discover that Castor and Pollux inadvertently freed Pelops, the son of Tantalus, who has transformed into a devil after opening a portal and casting down Hermes. However, it seems he still had to cross the River Styx to reach this point, adding a layer of mystery to the story. So, how powerful could Pelops be now?
It leads to the island of Crete…
I found the second issue quite confusing overall, even more so than the first “Olympus” issue.
In Olympus #3 (Image Comics), I started wondering if the story was finally gonna make more sense.
Here, we learn that Tantalus betrayed his own son by serving him as food for the gods. When the gods uncovered his treachery, he was justly punished for his crime.
They tried to restore his son, but some pieces were missing — eaten by Demeter, goddess of grain and seasons. Hephaestus stepped in to help, providing him with a new arm and shoulder. Pelops was resurrected and given a new life. But remember, he was mortal, so he would eventually die anyway.
Is Pelops seeking revenge, or is it something else? It appears he wants to kill Demeter’s four daughters. Castor’s mission was to protect Summer, while Pollux was assigned to safeguard Winter. Castor goes to Crete to help Summer, and Pollux travels to Athens to assist Winter. However, there’s some lingering bad blood between Castor and Summer — once they had been romantically involved, and she’s convinced he was unfaithful to her. She wants nothing to do with him, but everything changes when she learns her sisters are being murdered.
I really liked “Olympus” #3 — definitely way better than the first two issues. Things got pretty interesting, and for the first time, everything started to come together and make sense.
I won’t spoil any of the details of Olympus #4, the final comic issue of the series. I’ll just give you a sneak peek with the cover and a couple of illustrations. But trust me, you’ll want to read it to discover how everything wraps up. The ending is worth the jump!
So, what would I rate Olympus from Image Comics? I’d give it 5.5 out of 10. It had a lot of potential, but things only started to get interesting around issue 3. The final issue, #4, wrapped up the story, and there were some cool moments, like the take on global warming, but overall, considering the entire story, it felt kind of like a letdown.
I think this Olympus comic series had too many plot holes, jumps, and gaps in the storyline, which made it hard to really get into the series as a whole. Plus, a lot of the artwork was confusing — often hard to tell what was actually happening. Basically, it wasn’t the clearest story to follow, so you’re often left wondering what’s going on. And what’s with the name switching between Castor and Cassie? That said, it’s definitely a unique take on Greek mythology, and I’m glad I checked it out.
Check Price & Availability: Olympus TP (Image Comics)
It kind of reminds me of Jason and the Argonauts: Kingdom of Hades, for some reason. It’s another complex story where short summaries from other sources helped make things clearer. A second read of Olympus might help as well, but honestly, the story hasn’t grabbed me enough to want to revisit it. Oh well, I still found some parts of it really fascinating.
Here are a whole lot more Greek mythology comics and graphic novels to check out as well.
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